Boarding schools

[peter6969]

Hi there, I am planning to send my son to the UK on a boarding school.
I found this article on the best 30 boarding schools in the UK: www.mypremiumeurope.com/private-school/boarding/best-uk-boarding-schools.htm

Can anyone comment on this? Any experiences with these schools?

I suggest you search for threads on specific schools you are interested in.

Peter - I really dont think a travel organisations guide is much to go by, their lack of correct English language in the guide does not fill me with confidence either. Their list leaves out lots of highly regarded schools.

I would try searching in the good schools guide, Tatler (for a laugh and toungue in cheek report) and the major British News papers. Then when you have found a few schools you are interested in, search for comments on them here on this forum and go for a visit.

Here are some things to think of: Full boarding or weekly (full more sensible if you are abroad), single sex or mixed, location (to airport/ relatives) sporty (which sport)
Good luck.

'Best' is only best if it's the right school for your DC.

Do you want boys only or coed? Any particular parts of the country (maybe near family or airports)? What is your DS like?

The article must be old the fees are now significantly higher than that.
As said above you need to match the school to your DC, remember the most academically successful achieve stunning results by very careful selection, many also select two years in advance of joining and competition for places can be stiff. My DS has now full boarded for 11 years the best bit of advise I can give you is if your abroad and will need full boarding choose a full boarding school only or a school where at least 80% must be full boarders the rest day boarders, i.e. going home every night. If you don't your DC's will be in a small minority of mainly foreign children in school Saturday PM and Sunday even through till Monday morning. By full boarding I mean not going home Saturday night, schools are often cagey with this info, remember they want your money, and ISI reports and others have a different definition of full boarding, I would describe it as weekly boarding.
The reality is only a minoroity are proper full boarding/majority full boarding schools.

I can only see 15! Doesn't seem a very scientific comparison.

My advice is to read up on the school you want from various different sources. Find one that fits in with the personality of your child NOT your aspirations. Then sit back and watch them bloom.
Then keep tabs on the school to make sure they provide what is advertised in their brochures and websites.

Don't pick a school on league tables or flashy facilities. Obviously don't pick a donkey of a school either. I repeat choose what best suits your child.

OP
There is a wealth of experience on MN about schools. If you say what you are looking for people will be able to give you some ideas. Schools vary on whether they are really full boarding or not, coed or single sex, out in the country or more urban (Radley is more rural & Harrow is in a London suburb); what sports are offered and how important sport is etc.